A   K  E  P  O  E  T 


READ  BY 

Col.  rush  C.  HAWKINS 

BEFORE  THE 

mm  LEAGUE  CLUB 

THE  EVENING  OF  FEBRUARY  10, 1876, 

RELATINe  TO 

THE     CAUSE     OF    THK     INCREASE     OF    THB    CITY    DEOT,  AND 
COMMENDING  MEASURES  FOR  ITS  MORE  ECONOMICAL 
GOVERNMENT  IN  THE  FUTURE. 


NEW  YORK: 

John  Poi-hkmi's,  Puinter,  102  Nassau  St.,  cor.  Ann. 


RESOLUTION. 


At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  Union  League  Club,  held  at 
the  Club  House  on  Thursday  evening,  October  14th,  1875, 
the  following  resolution  was  presented  by  Col.  Rush  C. 
Hawkins,  and  unanimously  adopted  : 

Mesolved.  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  by  the 
President  of  the  Club,  to  inquire  into  and  ascertain  the 
causes  of  the  continuous  yearly  increase  of  the  debt  of  this 
City,  and  also  to  report  any  pertinent  facts  which  may  be 
developed  by  such  inquiry,  and  also  to  recommend,  for 
adoption  by  the  Club,  such  measures  as  shall  tend  towards 
a  more  economical  administration  of  the  local  government. 

A  true  cop3'  of  the  minutes. 

GEO.  H.  B.  HILL, 

Seci'etary 

Committee : 

Rusn  C.  Hawkins, 
William  Gkaydon, 
John  H.  Hall, 
Charles  Collins. 


Note. — The  members  of  the  committee  whose  names  are  printed  agreed  to 
the  report  ;  the  fifth  member,  whose  name  is  omitted,  dissented. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/reportreadbycolrOOhawk 


EEPOKT. 


The  Special  Committee  of  the  Union  League  Club,  ap- 
pointed under  the  foregoing  Resolution,  made  at  the 
regular  meeting  of  the  Club,  on  February  10,  1876,  the 
foUo\ving  report,  which  was  accepted  and  ordered  printed 
for  the  information  of  the  members  : 

To  discover  the  origin  and  growth  of  peculation  and  steal- 
ing on  the  part  of  municipal  officials,  who  have  at  various 
times  presided  over  the  City  and  County  of  New  York,  is  a 
task  surrounded  with  as  many  difficulties  as  the  discovery 
of  the  source  of  the  Nile.  Those  who  are  the  most  conver- 
sant with  the  facts,  seem  to  agree  in  fixing  the  first  organ- 
ized stealing  about  the  year  1852,  when  the  Board  of  Aldei' 
men,  which  was  then  known  as  the  ''Forty  Thieves/' 
commenced  its  operations.  The  period  from  that  date  up 
to  the  commencement  of  the  rebellion  may  be  designated 
as  the  era  of  small  stealings,  which  amounted  to  some  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  dollars  a  year. 

In  1861,  the  rebellion  came,  with  its  excitements  and  lav- 
ish expenditures  of  monty.  When  this  gn^at  storm  came, 
the  helm  of  our  municipal  ship  wasjn  the  hands  of  an  emi- 
nently facile  and  expert  politician,  who,  if  all  reports  are 
true,  was  not  slow  in  ascertaining  the  advantages  of  his  com- 
manding position.    Tlie  organization  of  city  regiments  afford- 


6 


ed  excellent  opportunities  for  carrying  into  practice  long  con- 
ceived ideas  of  personal  aggrandizement.  This  official  not 
only  looked  carefully  after  his  own  interests,  but  allowed 
liis  political  friends  to  share  the  spoils  which  patriotic  lib- 
erality had  placed  within  his  reach. 

At  the  close  of  the  rebellion  the  tax-paying  citizens  found 
in  existence  and  in  working  order  a  most  perfect  and  well 
adjusted  machine,  organized  upon  the  basis  of  public  plun- 
der. In  this  great  scheme,  that  county  excrescence — the 
Board  of  Supervisors — took  the  lead,  and  through  the  work- 
ings of  this  machine  in  the  hands  of  the  members  of  that 
Board,  all  the  other  departments  were  subdued  and  con- 
trolled, and  within  a  short  time  the  whole  municipal  system 
of  government  became  thoroughly  and  hopelessly  corrupt 
in  all  its  branches.  The  culmination  of  this  conspiracy 
was  the  Tammany  Ring,  which,  in  1868,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Tweed,  Sweeny  and  Connolly,  assumed  supreme 
power  over  the  lives  and  property  of  the  citizens  of  New 
York,  and  during  its  reign,  the  leaders  and  their  hordes 
of  criminals  committed  a  series  of  crimes  which  were  never 
rivalled  in  boldness,  and  the  results  of  which  a  century  of 
honest  and  economical  government  will  not  be  able  to  ef- 
face. 

In  1861  the  population  of  the  City  of  New  York  was  825,- 
000  and  the  debt  $20,087,301.55.  At  the  close  of  the  rebel- 
lion in  1865  the  population  had  not  materially  increased, 
but  the  debt  had,  to  the  sum  of  $35,913,597.11.  This  in- 
crease included  the  various  loans  for  raising  troops  and  other 
war  purposes.  In  1868,  with  a  population  of  about  900,000, 
the  debt  remained  about  as  it  was  in  1865 — it  might  have 
been  a  few  thousands  of  dollars  more  or  less.  January  1st, 
1869,  the  debt  was  $36,293,929.50.  At  this  time  the  Tam- 
many Ring  obtained  full  and  complete  control  of  all  the  af- 
fairs pertaining  to  the  government  of  the  City  and  County, 
and  in  the  autumn  of  1871, — September  16th, — when  it  was 
partially  overthrown,  it  was  ascertained  the  debt  had  in- 
creased to  $97,287,525.03.  Within  the  short  space  of  two 
years,  eight  months  and  sixteen  days,  this  ring  had  man- 


7 


aged  to  rob  the  city  of  $60,991,595.53  and  the  legacy  wliich 
it  left  of  outstanding  obligations,  in  the  way  of  iiniinished 
ajid  pending  contracts  and  accrued  debts,  amounted  to  about 
i|30,()()0,()()0  more,  so  that  for  the  brief  period  of  the  rule  of 
tliis  political  banditti,  the  tax-paying  citizens  have  been 
compelled  to  assume  an  increase  in  their  debt  of  ahout  nine- 
ty-one millions  of  dollar Is  it  not  plain,  that  tlie  two 
i/ears^  eight  months  and  sixteen  days  of  'pillage  and 
plunder  by  the  democratic  leaders  of  Tammany  Hall,  was 
the  cause  of  the  increase  of  our  city  debt  f  If  tliis  great 
series  of  crimes  bad  been  '  ommitted  in  the  City  of  San 
Francisco,  b}^  tlie  members  )f  a  secret  society,  or  any  otlier 
kind  of  an  association,  its  members  would  have  been  intro- 
duced to  the  halter  and  their  houses  burned  to  the  ground. 

It  is  important  that  we  sliould  ascertain,  so  far  as  possi- 
ble, wliat  lias  been  done  with  this  enormous  amount  of 
money,  and  what  benefits,  if  any,  liave  been  conferred  upon 
the  city  b}^  reason  of  its  expenditure. 

THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  WORKS 

was  the  chief  instrument  in  the  hands  of  the  I'ingleaders, 
for  making  their  largest  expenditures.  Since  1865  the 
amount  disbursed  in  carrying  out  plans  which  were  par- 
tially originated  in  that  department,  foot  up  the  respectable 
total  of  $27,868,263.66  ;  this  lias  been  expended  for  im- 
provements mostly  above  59th  street,  that  will  probably  not 
be  required  witliin  the  next  fifty  years.  Of  this  amount 
$8,263,750.51  has  been  paid  for  laying  out,  buying  part 
of  the  land  for  and  completing  a  so-called  Boulevard  from 
59th  street  to  155th  street.  {The  length  of  tliis  Boulevard 
is  25,740  feet— cost  per  foot,  $321.04;  per  mile.  $1,695,- 
091.20.) 

The  following  is  a  detailed  statement  of  the  amounts  paid 
out  for  these  improvements,  at  present  useless  and  unwar- 
rantable : 


8 


Improvements  under  Department  of  Public  Works 
(some  of  which  were  begun  under  the  Park  Com- 
mission). 


Impkovement. 


Seventh  avenue  

Sixth  "  110th  street  to  Har- 
lem River  

St.  Nicholas  ave.  (Manhattan  st.) . . 

145th  St.  (Hudson  to  Harlem  River) 

Boulevard  (59th  to  Harlem  River) . . 

Public  Square  (5th  ave.  &  59th  st.). 

Broadway  Improvement  (34th  to 
59th  sts.)  

Ninth  avenue  Improvement  

Eighth      '•  "   

Manhattan  st.  (see  St.  Nicholas 
ave.  above)  

Eastern  Boulevard  

155th  street  

72d  street  

Avenue  A  

96th  street  

110th  St.  (250  feet  west  8th  ave.  to 
Boulevard  

116th  street   


Morning  Side  avenue — east 
Morning  Side  avenue — west" 


Opening 
Confirmed. 


Jan.  90,  1868 
June  10,  1869 
April  8,  1869 


July  5,  1872 


Sept. 


Riverside  Drive . 


123d  street  

173d  street  

10th  avenue  (155th  st.  to  11th  av.) . . 

First  avenue  

185th  street  

Madison  ave.  extension  (86th  street 

to  Harlem  River)  

Lexington  ave.  extension,  66,  97, 102 
Removal  of  Aqueduct  


Total  cost  (for  acquisition  of  land 
and  construction)  of  works  begun 
within  the  last  ten  years,  and  com- 
pleted or  now  in  progress  under 
the  Department  of  Public  Works. 


Cost  of  land 
for  opening. 


$420,195  36 
961,153  26 
10,016  21 
4,652,832  47 


4,305,186  9; 


188  494  00 


Included  in 
cost  of  Morn- 
ing Side  Park 

Included  in 
cost  of  River- 
side Park  


First  payment 
on 

Improvem'nt 


Nov.  30,  1866 


Julv  18, 
Sept.  11, 

Oct.  16, 
Sept.  19, 

July  17, 


Dec.  24, 
Nov.  30, 
Aug.  31, 

Aug.  31, 
Dec.  5, 
Aug.  17, 
Dec.  20, 
Jan.  6, 
Mch.  7, 

Sept.  26, 
Jan.  19, 

Oct.  15, 
Aug.  17, 


1869 


1869 
1868, 
1871, 

1871, 
1873, 
1872, 
1873. 
1874. 
1874. 

1873. 
1874. 

1872. 
1872. 


Cost  of  "Im- 
provement" 
to  date,  Oct.  1, 
1875. 


Dec.  2,  1874. 
Jan. 


Jan.  31,  1873. 


1875. 


96,754  60 

37,' 


00 

1,499,571  32 
2,777,307  06 


Dec.  12. 
Mav  12, 
Nov.  3, 
Oct.  10, 
May  8, 


1872. 
1873 
1871. 
1874. 
1875. 


$14,948,549  25 


$1,148,287  96 

727,795  72 
913,636  79 
56,614  00 
3,610,918  04 
15,000  00 

5,000  00 
10,597  09 
222,303  47 

221,612  21 
143  05 
183,240  11 
137,640  70 
310,731  03 
13,563  35 

333,054  88 
151,196  12 

8,177  06 
149,849  30 


22,817  61 

5,171  27 
8,987  33 
807,411  95 
48,107  22 
135  00 

323,530  86 
103,192  29 
},381,000  00 


$12,919,714  41 
14,948,549  25 


$27,868,263  66 


The  above  statement  does  not  include  the  current  ex- 
penses of  keeping  up  this  department,  such  as  rent,  offi- 
cial salaries,  printing,  &c.,  &c.,  nor  does  it  include  the 
work  under  the  control  of  the  Department  of  Public 
Works  upon  the  streets  below  Fifty-ninth  street.  A 
statement  embracing  these  expenses  and  amounts  for  work 
upon  streets,  chiefly  for  paving,  below  Fifty-ninth  street, 
carefully  prepared  from  authentic  sources,  is  as  follows : 


9 


"  Statement  of  Street  Pavements  far  ten  years,  from  1865  to  1875,  shotctng 

amounts  of  assessments,  balances  uncollected,  and  ei<timates  and  advance* 
wJiere  no  assessments  were  made: 

Balancm 

AfSEeSMENT?.  U"^  COLLECTED. 

Stone  Pavements                                                                 $6,350.901  82  81.065.724  60 

Wood        "   ;                               1,7^3.510  38  94,077  44 

Concrete    "                                                                                 21,627  98  2,^44  70 


Actual  cost  of  those  enjoined   1,038,606  15 

Amounts  paid  on  Pavements  laid  by  days'  work   230.005  &4 

Total  estimates  and  payments   ....  $10,265,519  27 


$8,156,040  18       $1,162,146  74 

New  Stone  Pavement,  advances  and  estimates  not  yet  paid   840,865  00 

Pavements,  where  injunctions  against  confirming  aasesements 
have  been  o"btained  : 

Stone  Pavements,  amounts  paid   $385,039  20 

Wood         "    465,692  78 

Concrete     "             "       "    84,786  30 


$885,518 


Memoranda  of  Appropriations  Department  of  Pub- 
lic Works. 


Appropriations  for  1870   $2,990,888  50 

•'1871   I,:i82,4:^6  99 

"  1872    2,125,000  00 

"            "  1873   1,449.500  00 

"               1874   1,591.500  00 

"           "  1875   1,582,000  00 


$11,121,325  49 


Summary  under  Dep.  Pub.  Works. 

Improvements  not  needed  $27,868,263  6« 

Pavements  assessible   10.265,519  27 

All  other  expenditures   11,121,325  49 


Total  in  ten  years   $49,255,108  42 


To  this  must  be  added  pending  liabilities  (which  the  City 
will  be  compelled  to  assume),  of  $2,047,664.96,  which  gives 
an  enormous  total  of  $51,302,688.11,  an  amount  larger 
than  has  been  spent  by  the  cities  of  London  and  Paris 
both,  with  five  times  our  population  and  wealth,  during 
the  same  period  for  like  purposes.  In  addition  to  this 
unprecedented  expenditure,  there  has  been  spent  for  the 
Croton  Aqueduct  since  it  became  a  part  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Works,  besides  the  amount  for  removing 
the  old  Aqueduct,  about  $7,500,000,  making  a  grand  total 
of  $58,802,883.11  chiefly  expended  under  the  direction  of 


10 


tliis  departinent.  Of  this  grand  total  the  Park  Department 
i«  responsible  for  the  expenditure  of  $5,165,090.44. 

It  lias  come  to  be  a  well  known  fact  that  this  department 
(Public  Works)  lias  been  little  else  than  an  asylum  for  politi- 
cal paupers.  .  It  is  so  organized  and  controlled  that  it  is  sus- 
ceptible of  indefinite  expansion.  Every  local  officeholder 
of  whatever  party  happens  to  be  in  power,  and  the  keepers 
of  corner  groggeries  and  gambling  houses,  are  its  active 
patrons  and  managers.  It  is  they  who  furnish  the  material 
with  whicli  the  department  is  kept  supplied  with  Demo- 
i'ratic  or  other  voters,  who  control  the  primary  meetings, 
and  vote  often  when  the  day  of  election  comes  around. 
For  a  month  or  two  preceding  an  important  election  this 
department  is  crowded  with  thousands  of  idle  men,  who 
draw  their  pay  regularly  and  vote  the  ticket  approved  by 
those  who  appoint  them. 

Gentlemen  of  great  experience  in  matters  of  contracting, 
w^ho  are  quite  capable  of  judging,  say  that  it  takes  five  men 
in  this  department  to  do  the  work  of  two.  A  large  num- 
ber of  the  overseers  and  bosses  of  the  gangs  of  laborers  are, 
or  have  been,  men  of  no  experience  in  industrial  pur- 
suits ;  many  of  them  are  of  the  lowest  possible  charac- 
ter and  association,  and  of  the  most  rascall}^  and  criminal 
antecedents,  such  as  prize-fighters,  thieves,  keepers  of  low 
groggeries,  and  other  infamous  places  of  resort.  These 
creatures  are  rewarded  with  those  important  appointments 
for  the  assistance  which  they  have  from  time  to  time  ren- 
dered to  the  political  magnates  in  power.  From  the  man- 
ner in  which  this  department  has  been  conducted,  it  is  not 
only  fair,  but  quite  safe  to  infer,  that  a  part  of  the  original 
intention  in  creating  it,  was  to  make  a  place  where  the  po- 
litical pensioner  and  henchman  could  find  rest  and  repose, 
between  the  times  when  his  services  were  required  for  run- 
ning the  political  machine.  ;  r  •  fi  n 

The  facts,  briefly  stated  above,  ought  to  be  suflicient 
to  convince  the  mind  of  the  most  obtuse  taxpayer,  that 
this  department,  or  the  men  who  manage  it,  should  be 
abolished  from  our  system  of  municipal  government.  No 


11 


doubt  there  are  many  good,  confiding  citizens,  wlio  congrat- 
ulate themselves  upon  the  fact  that  it  is  not  as  dishonestl}^ 
managed  now  as  formerly,  when  the  great  Boss,  now  un- 
happily in  exile,  was  in  liis  glory  and  moved  all  things  to 
his  will.  The  answer  to  that  proposition  is,  that  while  we 
have  got  rid  of  the  chief  thief,  many  of  his  rascally  methods 
of  conducting  public  business  remain  unchanged,  and  the 
formula  which  he  created  and  promulgated  still  governs 
in  some  of  the  city  departments,  and  will  remain,  unless 
uprooted  by  sweeping  and  complete  changes. 

The  next  department  in  order  of  extravagance  is  the 

JUDICIARY. 

In  the  official  year  ending  in  1875,  the  expenses  of  this  de- 
partment were  $1,268,425.40.  The  Judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  are  paid  $17,500  a  year  each,  and  those  of  the  Superior 
Court,  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  the  Surrogate,  Record- 
er and  City  Judge,  $15,000  each, |  the  Judges  of  the  Ma- 
rine Court  $10,000  each,  and  those  of  the  District  and  Po- 
lice Courts  $6,000  each. 

The  Judges  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  who 
hold  positions  of  as  great  judicial  importance  and  responsi- 
bility as  any  in  the  world,  received,  until  last  year,  only  the 
sum  of  $6,000  salary,  the  United  States  Circuit  Court  Judges 
only  $6,000  a  year,  and  the  United  States  District  Court 
Judges  in  this  State  only  $4,000  a  year,  and  there  are  but 
few  of  the  States  that  pay  the  Judges  of  their  highest  tri- 
bunals more  than  $5,000  a  year. 

It  is  believed  that  men  of  equal  talent  and  integrity  to 
many  who  at  present  occupy  the  benches  of  our  various 
Courts,  could  be  secured  for  much  less  than  the  salaries 
which  are  now  paid.  There  are  doubtless  many  able 
lawyers,  who  do  not  make  $10,000  a  year  by  their  practice, 
who  would  gladly  accept  positions  on  the  bench  for  much 
less  than  that  sum. 

A  flagrant  and  wholly  unjustifiable  abuse  which  exists, 
oi'  has  existed  until  latel3\  in  connection  with  all  of  our 


12 


Courts,  consists  in  tlio  employment  of  a  multitude  of  useless 
attendants,  wlio  receive  large  pay  and  perf oim  no  necessary 
service.  These  employees,  like  many  of  those  in  other  city 
departments,  are  nearly  all  of^  one  nationality.  They  are 
either  natives  of  the  fruitful  Green  Isle,  or  are  of  the  first 
generation  in  America,  of  parents  who  were  born  there. 
Tliey  are  distributed  as  follows  : 

EMPLOYEES. 


Supreme  Court, 
Superior  Court. 
Common  Pleas, 
Marine  Court,  . 
Surrogate's  Court, 
District  Courts, 
Police 

Court  of  General  Sessions, 
Total, 


35 
34 
51 
29 
27 
60 
30 
43 


309 


These  could  be  reduced  to  250  without,  in  any 
degree,  injuring  the  judicial  machinery,  and  a  deduc- 
tion of  twenty  per  cent,  should  also  be  made  in  the 
salaries  of  those  who  remain.  The  Judges  of  the  Supreme, 
Superior,  Common  Pleas  and  Surrogate's  Courts,  and  the 
Recorder  and  City  Judge  ought,  not  to  be  paid  more  than 
$10,000  each  ;  the  Judges  of  the  Marine  Court  §5,000,  and  all 
others  $4,000.  With  these  reductions,  the  judiciary  ex- 
penses could  be  brought  down  to  about  $850,000  a  year,  and 
a  law  fixing  all  of  these  salaries  should  be  prepared  and 
presented  to  the  Legislature  of  1876. 


THE  DEPAKTMEjS^T  OF  PAEKS, 

and  others  of  less  importance,  have,  within  the  last  two 
years,  made  material  reductions  in  their  expenses.  The 
Central  Park,  which  is  so  extensively  visited  by  all  classes  of 
our  citizens, ["should  be  maintained  in  a  condition  which 
will  make  it  the  most  enjoyable  to  the  greatest  number,  and 
to  that  end  liberal  appropriations  should  always  be  made. 


13 


It  is  doubtful  if  any  considerable  reduction  could  at  present 
be  made  in  its  working  force,  but  that  the  salaries  could  and 
ought  to  be  reduced,  there  is  no  doubt ;  also  the  number  of 
Commissioners ;  one,  a  man  of  taste  and  cultivation,  would 
be  sufficient  for  the  management  of  all  our  parks  and  public 
places. 

The  following  list,  compiled  from  official  sources,  gives 
the  number  of  men  employed  in  each  department  under 
our  City  and  County  government,  with  the  amounts  paid 
for  salaries  : 

OFFICERS  AND  EMPLOYEES  OF  THE  CITY  GO\'EBNMEXT.  WITH  COMPENSA 

TIONS  PAID. 


Depajrtmitkt  or  Board. 


Common  Coancil  «  

Executive  Department  

Finance  "   

•'        Cleaning  Markets  

Law  Department  

Police  *•   

"         "        Street  Cleaning  

Department  of  Public  Works  

"         •'       ••  Charities  

Fire  Department  

Health      -  •  

Department  of  Parks  

••  Docks  

"        ••  Taxes  and  Assessments  

"         "  Buildings  

"         '■  Excise  

Commissioners  of  Accounts  

"         for  Erection  Third  District  Court  House... 

City  Record  

Commissioner  of  Jarors  

Countv  Clerk's  Office  

District  Attorney's  Office  

Supreme  Court  

Superior  "   

Court  of  Common  Pleas  

Marine  Coun  

Surrogate's  Office  

District  (C\\-iV\  Courts  

Police  Courts  

Court  of  Gtjneral  Sesdons  

Board  of  Education  

College  of  the  City  of  New  York  

Officers  and  Employees  

Laborers  in  Departments  of   Public  Works.  Parks  and 
Docks  


Total. 


No.  OP  Oppi- 

Amouxt  Paid 

CERS.  ETC. 

PER  Axxrjf. 

34 

$109,000 

18 

42.350 

1-^4 

225.640 

30 

33.068 

29 

91.350 

2.571 

3.19'i.l40 

1,019 
193 

799,581 

.334.480 

659 

307.991 

832 

1.040.2SO 

85 

150.050 

151 

205.675 

58 

133.358 

58 

128.700 

70 

97,900 

21 

41.200 

11 

18,000 

6 

4,112 

4 

8,900 

10 

10,000 

24 

40.725 

21 

6.3,600 

45 

150,800 

46 

177.000 

43 

160,700 

41 

126.900 

29 

61,900 

79 

197.200 

52 

182,000 

4T 

82.220 

3.021 

2.fi86,500 

40 

123.600 

9.471 

$11.0ti?.120 

3.ri50 

2.667.016 

13.121 

S13.730,186 

October  30.— An  aggregate  of  4,700  laborers  was  employed  by  the  Department- of  Public 
Works.  Parks,  and  Docks.   Butthe  number  is  now  materially  reduced. 


14 

The  number  of  persons  in  the  employ  of  the  city  ought 
to  be  reduced  fully  one-quarter,  and  the  salaries  of  those 
who  remain,  twenty  per  cent.  The  theory  and  practice 
which  has  obtained  in  our  city  departments  of  paying  more 
for  the  same  services  than  is  paid  by  private  parties,  si 
uncalled  for  and  most  pernicious  in  its  results.  Under  it,  a 
set  of  pensioners  have  come  into  existence,  who  expect  to 
draw  large  salaries  without  rendering  any  equivalent  in  the 
way  of  an  honest  day' s  service.  The  heads  of  city  depart- 
ments should  have  the  same  right  as  private  citizens,  to  go 
into  the  open  market,  and  there  obtain  for  the  lowest  price 
the  labor  which  they  require.  They  ought  not  to  be  com- 
pelled to  accept,  as  they  are  in  many  instances,  incompetent 
and  dishonest  friends  of  professional  politicians,  nor  should 
the  paupers,  that  land  upon  our  shores  from  European 
countries,  be  allowed  to  become  burdens  for  our  public 
departments  to  support.  The  sooner  they  are  disabused  of 
the  idea  that  they  are  entitled  to  be  pensioned  upon  the 
public,  the  better.  They  should  be  made  to  understand 
that  they  have  no  superior  rights  over  our  own  native- 
born  citizens,  and  that  that  only  is  theirs  which  theii' 
labor  honestly  entitles  them  to  receive.  The  monstrous 
demands  which  they  are  in  the  habit  of  making  upon  the 
city,  should  not  be  tolerated,  and  any  official  who  yields  to 
them  should  be  driven  from  his  office.  In  short,  it  is  time 
chat  the  professional  politicians,  who  live  upon  somebody 
else's  money  than  their  own,  and  their  followers  and  de- 
pendents, should  understand  that  those  who  pay  the  taxes 
and  have  the  greatest  interests  at  stake  should  have  some- 
thing to  say  as  to  the  selection  of  their  rulers.  This  never 
can  be  done  so  long  as  these  unwarrantable  and  impertinent 
demands  are  submitted  to.  The  era  of  corruption  and  dis- 
honest administration  has  been  foisted  upon  us  by  power 
derived  through  a  purchasable  foreign  vote.  To  this  one 
cause  can  easily  be  traced  the  enormous  increase  of  our  pub- 
lic debt.  Without  the  solid,  corrupt  Roman  Catholic  Irish 
vote  of  from  thirty  to  forty  thousand,  the  success  of  the 
Tammany  Ring  would  have  been  out  of  the  question,  and 


o 

15 

its  existence,  for  any  considerable  length  of  time,  almost 
impossible. 

THE  SINKING  OF  THE  RAILWAY  TRACE 

in  Fourth  avenue,  or,  in  other  words,  abating  a  nuisance 
created  by  one  man  having  conti  ol  over  a  business  corpora- 
tion, has  cost,  up  to  this  time,  $2,845,632.45,  or  about  $711,- 
408.11  a  year.  This  sum  may  put  down  as  a  forced  con- 
tribution to  one  of  the  reigning  i'amilies  of  New  York,  whicli 
has  proved  conclusively,  in  mfiuy  instances,  that  it  has  the 
power  to  do  whatever  it  wills.  There  is  piobably  no  mon- 
arch in  the  civilized  world  who  would  dare  to  order  a  simi- 
lar diversion  of  public  funds.  Foreign  communities  and 
peoples  have  special  cause  for  thanksgiving  and  congratula- 
tion, that  they  are  favored  with  no  marketable  legislatures 
for  reigning  families  to  purchase.  How  long  will  it  be 
before  the  citizens  of  many  of  our  States  will  have  cause 
for  the  same  kind  of  congratulation  and  thankfulness  ? 

THE   NEW  COUNTY  COURT  HOUSE, 

which  might  have  been  completed  for  about  $8, 000, 000,  has 
already  cost  $13,000,000,  and  is  still  unfinished.  This  was 
Si  placer,  which,  in  the  hands  of  the  true  disciples  of  Tam- 
many, probably  yielded  the  largest  percentage  of  stealings  of 
any  of  its  many  sources  of  plunder.  There  was  a  degiee 
of  boldness  in  connection  with  this  pet  steal,  which  was 
quite  unique.  Whenever  money  was  wanted  for  ring  pur- 
poses, or  for  any  individual  ring-master,  a  set  of  bills 
were  manufactured  out  of  whole  cloth,  and  the  necessary 
warrants  signed  by  the  proper  officers  for  their  payment, 
and  Controller  Connolly  was  not  at  all  backward  in  paying 
upon  vouchers,  in  which  he  had  a  large  interest.  There 
were  many  other  lesser  placers  that  were  faithfully  worked 
and  yielded  large  profits  to  the  parties  in  interest.  To 
attempt  to  give  anything  like  a  complete,  or  even  a  partial, 
history  of  them  all,  in  a  report  like  the  present,  would  t^x- 


a 

16 

tend  it  far  beyond  the  limits  of  this  report.  The  impor- 
tant facts  connected  with  these  great  frauds  have  been  so 
often  published  that  every  citizen  who  takes  any  interest 
in  public  affairs  should  know  them  by  heart. 

OUR  POLICE  DEPARTMENT 

is  by  far  the  most  extravagant  in  the  world.  The  City  of 
London  and  Metropolitan  District,  with  a  population  of 
about  four  millions,  during  the  official  year  which 
commenced  in  1872  and  ended  in  1873,  paid  for  their  police, 
which  numbered  about  ten  thousand  men,  £959,820,  or 
ahout  $5,470,974  in  our  currency.  Tlie  City  of  New  York 
paid  for  its  police,  numbering  about  twenty-five  hundred 
men,  during  the  official  year  whicli  commenced  in  1874 
and  ended  in  1875,  $3,201,152.33,  bdng  only  $2,269,821.63 
less  than  was  paid  for  the  same  service  for  the  whole  city 
of  London  the  year  before,  with  four  times  the  inhabitants. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  amount  paid  jper  capita  of 
•population  in  London  is  $1.40  for  almost  perfect  protec- 
tion of  life  and  property,  while  the  amount  in  New  York 
per  capita  is  $3.20  for  that  peculiar  kind  of  protection 
with  which  the  average  New  Yorker  is  perfectly  familiar. 
Such  is  the  difference  between  the  two  cities — one  governed 
for  the  best  interests  of  the  whole  people  and  the  other 
governed  by  the  people  for  the  interests  of  office  holders 
and  their  dependents. 

The  two  systems  are  managed  on  opposite  principles.  In 
London,  the  superior  officers  of  the  department  appoint  all  of 
their  subordinates,  and  are  held  responsible  for  their  con- 
duct. Neither  members  of  Parliament,  aldermen  or  local 
politicians  have  anything  to  do  with  the  management  of  the 
force,  and  a  sufficient  salary  only  is  paid  to  secure  men  of 
intelligence,  sobriety  and  integrity,  and  these  qualities  they 
manage  to  obtain  for  about  one-half  of  the  amount  paid 
here.  There  the  officials  devote  their  time  to  maintaining  a 
well  discijjlined,  perfectly  regulated,  and  efficient  force  ; 
here  the  primary  object  seemfe  to  be  to  provide  a  comfort- 


17 


able  resting  place  for  tlie  friends  of  rural  and  local  politi- 
cians and  office  holders.  These  fortunate  gentlem'en — the 
friends  of  our  rulers — are  paid  a  salary  of  $1,200  a  year, 
which  ought  to  secure  a  superior  class  of  men,  and  no  doubt 
would,  if  the  management  could  be  taken  out  of  the  hands 
of  our  present  kind  of  political  rulers.  It  is  believed  that 
$900  a  year  would  secure  any  number  of  men,  quite  equal, 
if  not  superior,  to  those  now  upon  the  force.  If  the  Com- 
missioners were  to  advertise  for  men  at  $75  per  month,  they 
would  probably  have  fifty  thousand  applicants,  from  which 
they  could  select  2,600  excellent  men.  This  change,  with 
such  reductions  of  officials  and  salaries  as  ought  to  be  made, 
and  can  be  made  without  detriment  to  the  service,  would 
bring  the  expense  of  this  department  down  to  about 
$2,200,000,  or,  in  round  numbers,  a  million  of  dollars  less 
than  they  are  now. 


THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  DOCKS, 

since  its  organization,  has  had  centered  upon  it  a  large  share 
of  public  attention,  and  has  been  pretty  thoroughly  investi- 
gated,-and  so  far  as  harmonious  results  of  the  investigations 
are  concerned,  none  have  been  reached.  It  seems  that  this 
department,  since  its  organization  in  1870,  has  expended  the 
sum  of  $4, 934, 473. 92.  While  the  present  financial  condition 
of  the  city  continues,  public  sentiment,  as  well  as  sound 
economical  business  discretion,  calls  for  the  least  possible 
expenditure  in  this,  as  well  as  in  all  other  departments. 
This  is  not  a  time  for  carrying  out  a  great  scheme  for  the 
improvement  of  our  whole  water  front,  involving  the  expen- 
diture of  many  millions  of  dollars.  The  city  should  manage 
its  affairs  as  any  discreet  merchant  or  business  man  would 
under  like  circumstances.  Make  the  necessary  repairs  to 
keep  the  property  in  good  condition,  and  obtain  for  it  the 
largest  income  possible.  In  tlie  future,  when  the  burden  of 
debt  has  been  lightened,  and  our  current  expenses  shall 
have  been  reduced  to  a  reasonable  amount,  then  mil  be  the 
time  for  the  consideration  of  this  elaborate  scheme  for  the 


18 


improvement  of  our  water  frontage.  The  present  demand 
is,  that  all  new  work  should  be  discontinued  and  the  com- 
mission abolished,  and  in  its  place  a  competent  engineer 
appointed  or  one  commissioner  with  a  reasonable  salary,  say 
$6,000,  who  should  be  under  the  control  of  the  Mayor,  so 
far  as  power  of  removal  is  concerned.  It  is  due  to  this 
department  to  state,  that  under  the  administration  of  the 
present  commission  the  income  has  largely  increased  and 
the  expenses  have  correspondingly  decreased. 

THE  DEPAETMENT  OF  CHAEITIES  AND  COERECTIONS 

cost,  during  the  last  official  year,  $1,183,000,  which  was 
chiefly  spent  for  the  care  and  support  of  persons  of  one 
nationality,  and  much  of  it  in  a  way  which  directly  en- 
courages pauperism.  If  the  city  were  to  purchase  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  some  of  the  Territories  or  new  States,  or  in 
the  interior  of  this  State,  and  would  cause  the  European  pau- 
pers to  be  sent  there  as  soon  as  they  land  upon  our  shores, 
they  would  cost  us  far  less  than  they  do  now,  supported  as 
they  are  in  perfect  idleness.  Some  plan  should  be  devised  by 
which  they  could  be  compelled  to  make  some  returns  in  the 
way  of  earnings  for  the  large  sums  which  are  paid  out  for 
them,  and  if  this  were  done,  they  would  find  work  for  them- 
selves rather  than  be  sent  to  the  Island,  where  it  would 
be  found  for  them.  Some  experiments  might  be  tried  in 
the  way  of  introducing  a  system  of  employment  which 
does  not  require  skilled  labor.  If  an  experiment  of  this 
kind  should  prove  successful,  it  would  probably  result  in  a 
great  reduction  in  numbers,  as  well  as  in  the  expenses  of 
our  pauper  institutions. 

The  sum  of  $825,905.00,  appropriated  for  asylums, 
reformatories,  and  charitable  institutions,  seems  to  be  very 
large,  and  especially  so  when  considered  in  connection  with 
the  large  amount  expended  by  the  Department  of  Charities 
and  Corrections,  and  when  the  fact  is  taken  into  considera- 
tion that  more  than  one-half  of  this  large  amount  goes 
through  the  hands  of  one  religious  denomination,  we  ought 


19 


to  inquire  into  the  direction  and  results  of  these  expendi- 
tures. It  is  a  fact  which  is  probably  susceptible  of  proof, 
that  this  particular  denomination  referred  to,  does  not  make 
from  its  own  people  any  considerable  collections  for  charita- 
ble purposes,  but  relies  entirely  upon  the  tax  payers  for 
the  support  of  its  paupers  and  the  reformation  of  its 
criminals,  while  the  large  amounts  which  it  collects  from 
its  members  go  for  keeping  up  extensive  and  expensive 
church  establishments,  semi-political  in  their  aims  and 
aspirations,  and  exceedingly  worldly  as  far  as  their  busi- 
ness matters  are  concerned,  and  which  chiefly  tend  in 
the  one  direction  of  accumulating  large  landt- d  properties. 
It  is  questionable  whether  this  one  religious  denomination 
has  the  right  to  call  upon  the  tax  paying  portion  of  this 
community  to  contribute  so  largely  towards  the  support 
of  its  paupers  and  criminals,  which  form  about  thiee- 
fifths  of  the  whole  of  these  two  classes  in  this  city.  The 
policy  of  making  such  large  donations  of  public  moneys 
to  private  institutions  is,  at  best,  a  doubtful  one,  and,  out- 
side of  the  limits  of  the  United  States,  is  not,  to  any  great 
extent,  indulged  in.  The  government  that  gives  away  saeh 
large  sums  of  money,  ought,  at  least,  to  have  the  right  to 
see  what  becomes  of  it,  for  the  single  purpose,  if  for  no 
other,  of  ascertaining  how  much  of  it  is  spent  for  objects 
of  charity,  and  how  much  of  it,  if  ^ny,  goes  into  the  insa- 
tiable and  capacious  maw  of  the  church.  Enough  has 
been  said  to  show  that  this  system  of  careless  giving  to 
quasi-irresponsible  institutions  or  societies,  is  radically 
wrong  and  liable  to  abuse,  and  some  well-devised  meas- 
ures should  be  adopted  for  the  purpose  of  preventing 
extravagance  and  misdirection  of  the  public  funds  in  the 
hands  of  these  institutions. 

In  order  to  prove  the  above  statement  concerning  our 
criminal  and  pauper  classes,  the  following  statistics  (all 
that  could  be  obtained),  are  inserted  : 


20 


Statistics^  showing  arrests  in  New  York  for  the  fifteen 
years  and  four  months  ending  December  ^Ist^  1875, 
with  nativity. 


tTNITED  STATES. 


1860 
1861 
1862 
1863 
1864 


1867 


*1870 
1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 
1875 


13,985 
18,379 
21,868 
18,199 
16,167 
23,036 
25.393 
27,156 
27,326 
26,142 
10,126 
25,900 
30,916 
31,673 
32,973 
37,917 


387,154 


38,576 
39,606 
45,409 
33,317 
28,808 
32,867 
35,375 
38,128 
37,014 
34,226 
12,902 
35,561 
38,009 
42,432 
41,746 
37,121 


671,497 


5,720 
7,287 
8,631 
5,284 
5,846 
7,162 
8,914 
9,460 
8,281 
7,099 
2,364 
8,452 
9,597 
7,025 
9,886 
8,651 


119,659 


ALL  OTHERS. 


7,528 
5,860 
6,164 
4,688 
3,930 
5,808 
5,948 
5,788 
5,830 
5,517 
1,826 
5,779 
5,992 
7,458 
7,507 
7,311 


92,934 


65,809 

71,130 

82,072 

61,888 

54,751 

68,873 

75.630 

80,532 

78,451 

72,984 

27,218* 

75,692 

84,511 

88,588 

92.112 

91,000 


1,171,244 


*  Only  four  months  of  this  year  reported. 

This  reduced  to  a  ratio,  based  on  the  United  States  census 
of  1870,  shows  that  in  the  City  of  New  York,  for  the  above 
period  of  fifteen  and  one-third  years,  every  one  hundred 
(100)  native  born  citizens  produced  seventy-four  (74)  arrests; 
every  one  hundred  (100)  Irish  born  inhabitants,  two 
hundred  and  forty-three  (243)  arrests ;  every  one  hundred 
(100)  German  born  inhabitants,  seventy-nine  (79)  arrests ; 
and  every  one  hundred  (100)  inhabitants  of  all  other  races, 
ninety -four  (94)  arrests. 

In  this  City  for  that  period,  the  comparative  ratio  of 
criminality  of  the  races,  taking  the  native  born  as  the  unit, 
is  as  follows  : 


American  1.00 

Irish  8.28 

German  -1.07 

Another  1.27 


21 


Extract  from  a  letter  written  December  21, 187  5, hy  an  official 
of  very  long  experience  in  connection  with  criminal  mat- 
ters in  the  City  of  New  York, 

Of  tbe  number  born  in  the  United  States,  a  lar;;e  per 
cent.,  in  my  opinion  from  one-half  to  three-fourth!<,  con- 
sist of  persons  born  in  the  United  States  of  Irish  parents. 

It  is  very  noticeable  that  high  crimes^  and  especially 
crimes  accompanied  with  Tiolence  to  the  person,  are 
traceable  to  this  class.  The  young  ruffians,  who  in  gangs 
infest  the  streets  and  render  travel  by  night  neither 
pleasant  nor  safe,  are  chiefly  of  this  class.  American- 
born  criminals  with  Irish  names  are  very  common  ;  Amer- 
ican-born criminals  with  German  names  are  rare. 


Statistics,  showing  the  number  of  paupers  cared  for  by 
the  Department  of  Charities  and  Correction  during 
five  years  ending  with  1875,  and  their  nativity. 


UNITED  STATES. 

IRELAND. 

GERMANY. 

ALL  OTHERS. 

TOTAL. 

1871 

10,876 

16,829 

3,271 

2,629 

33,605 

1872 

12,174 

19,291 

5,201 

3,588 

40.234 

1873 

12,674 

20,539 

4,568 

3,606 

41,387 

1874 

13,999 

20,696 

5,291 

3,851 

43,857 

1875 

13.455 

21,452 

5,942 

3,887 

44,736 

63,178 

98,787 

24,273 

17,561 

203,799  , 

TMs  table  reduced  to  a  ratio,  based  on  the  United  States 
census  of  1870,  shows  that  in  the  City  of  New  York,  for  the 
above  period  of  five  years,  of  every  one  hundred  (100)  na- 
tive born  citizens,  twelve  (12)  have,  for  some  part  of  the 
time,  been  public  paupers;  of  every  one  hundred  (100)  Irish 
born  inhabitants,  forty-two  (42)  were,  for  some  part  of  the 
time,  public  paupers;  of  every  one  hundred  (100)  German 
born  inhabitants,  sixteen  (16)  have,  for  some  part  of  the 
time,  been  public  paupers;  and  of  every  one  hundred  (100) 


22 


inhabitants  of  all  other  races,  eighteen  (18)  have,  for  some 
part  of  the  time,  been  public  paupers. 

In  this  city,  for  that  period,  the  comparative  ratio  of 
pauperism  of  the  races,  taking  the  native  born  as  the  unit, 
is  as  follows : 

American  . .   1.00 

Irish   .^^ _,i;ij<- ^^t^ 3.50 

German   1.33 

All  others  1.50 

THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 

are  managed  at  an  expense  of  $3,583,000,  and  the  College 
of  the  City  of  New  York  $150,000  per  annum,  making  a 
total  of  $3,733,000. "  This  seems  to  be  a  very  large  sum  for 
a  city  of  one  million  of  population,  to  pay  for  its  educational 
purposes.  It  is  believed  that  the  cost  is  more  per  capita 
than  in  any  other  American  city.  But  those  who  have  haA 
superior  opportunities  for  judging,  say,  that  there  can  be 
no  reduction  in  expenses,  save  in  the  simple  item  of  salaries 
of  superintendents  and  teachers,  and,  since  it  is  a  matter  of 
the  highest  importance  that  the  schools  should  be  managed 
in  the  most  efficient  manner,  it  is  perhaps  better  that  those 
who  are  responsible  for  their  management  should  be  over 
rather  than  under  paid.  This  is  a  matter  of  such  grave 
public  interest  that  no  recommendations  should  be  made  in 
relation  to  it,  unless  predicated  upon  more  information  than 
is  at  present  accessible. 


THE  STREET  CLEANING  DEPARTMENT 

last  year  expended  $800,000,  and  the  Health  Department 
$222,000.  These  two  departments  are  so  closely  connected 
in  their  duties  and  operations,  that  they  should  be  consoli- 
dated into  one,  and  the  whole  placed  under  the  control  of  a 
competent  professional  sanitarian,  who  should  be  assisted 
by  a  corps  of  professional  assistants,  who,  at  certain  stated 


23 


periods,  should  inspect  the  streets  and  tenement  houses, 
with  authority  to  carry  out  and  cause  to  be  obeyed  such 
reasonable  regulations  as  the  Cliief  of  the  Department  should 
direct.  When  these  two  departments  shall  be  so  organized, 
then  we  may  expect  something  like  a  reasonable  condition 
of  cleanliness  in  our  streets,  and  the  fearful  results  which 
flow  from  the  overcrowding  of  tenement  houses  somewhat 
neutralized.  As  our  sanitary  aflTairs  are  now  conducted, 
neither  the  one  nor  the  other  is  accomplished,  and  we  en- 
joy the  supreme  satisfaction  of  living  in  the  filthiest  city  in 
the  w^orld.  As  to  the  expense,  it  is  thought  that  81,000,000 
is  not  excessive  for  what  a  consolidated  department  would 
be  expected  to  accomplish.  For  the  results  which  are  now 
achieved,  the  expenses  are  enormous.  A  competent  and  re- 
sponsible contractor  has  stated  that  he  will  engage  to  keep 
the  streets  in  a  better  condition  than  they  are  now  kept,  for 
8600,000  a  year. 

The  present  Health  Department  wants  the  power  to 
enforce  reasonable  regulations  for  the  government  of  our 
terrible  system  of  overcrowded  tenement  houses,  which  are 
quite  the  equals,  as  to  filth  and  density  of  population,  of 
any  houses  of  the  poor  in  any  portion  of  the  whole  civilized 
world.  Even  the  squalor  and  wretchedness  of  the  native 
Chinese  mudhut  is  more  conducive  to  health  and  morality'. 
The  rapacity  of  the  owners  of  these  pest  holes  of  filth — 
wholesale  generators  of  crime — is  beyond  the  scope  of  a 
reasonable  imagination,  and  no  power  wdll  ever  control 
them  unless  it  be  the  strong  arm  of  the  law,  directed  by  an 
intelligent  sanitary  department.  When  this  can  be  accom- 
plished, we  may  expect  a  visible  diminution  in  the  volume 
of  disease  and  crime. 

THE  SHERIFF,  REGISTER,  AND  COUNTY  CLERK, 

are  the  recipients  of  emoluments  far  above  those  in  any  other 
country,  or  in  any  other  part  of  the  United  States.  It  has 
been  estimated  that  the  net  profits  of  these  three  offices 
that  go  into  the  pockets  of  the  three  officials  who  are  at  the 


24 


head  of  them,  amount  to  between  $200,000  and  $250,000  » 
year.  And  notwithstanding  these  large .  receipts,  in  the 
shape  of  fees  from  the  public,  the  city  pays  a  considerable 
sum  towards  the  expenses  of  one  or  more  of  these  offices. 
Instead  of  adding  to  the  expense  of  the  city,  they  should  be 
made  the  sources  of  large  revenues.  The  Sheriff  would  be 
sufficiently  well  paid,  if  he  were  to  receive  a  salary  of  $20,- 
000,  and  the  Register  and  County  Clerk  not  more  than 
$15,000  each  a  year,  the  three  offices,  at  the  present  rate  of 
fees  charged,  ought  to  net  a  clear  profit  to  the  city  of  at 
least  $150,000  per  annum. 

London^  with  its  immense  and  varied  population,  is  with- 
out doubt  the  best  and  most  economically  governed  city  in 
the  world.  In  18Y1,  the  whole  population,  including  the 
Metropolitan  District  and  the  City  of  London,  was 
3,883,092.  Since  then,  it  has  probably  increased  up  to,  if 
not  beyond  4,000,000  of  inhabitants,  and  the  expenses  for 
its  government  are  not  $4,000,000  more  than  those  of 
the  City  of  New  York.  The  items  for  the  official  year 
ending  in  1873  (the  latest  published)  are  as  follows  : 


Poor  relief,     .       .       .  . 
Local  management,  watering 

vestries,  &c.. 
Board  of  Works, 
City  of  London, 
Metropolitan  Police,  . 
School  Boards, 
Burial  Boards, 

Total,  


£1,780,145^ 

roads,  eewers, 

1,563,804 
.  1,182,62& 
.  963,854 

959,820 
.  444,153 

144,440 


£7,038,844' 


which,  at  the  rate  of  fourteen  per  cent,  premium,  is 
$40,121,410.80  in  our  currency,  or  $10.03  jper  capita.  The 
total  amount  raised  in  this  city  from  its  one  million  of  in- 
habitants from  taxes  and  other  sources  in  ISl^^  for  all  pur- 
poses^ was  $36,367,744.75,  or  $36.36  per  capita. 


25 


It  will  be  observed  that  London  has  no  debt  upon  wliich 
to  pay  interest,  and  this  comparison  of  these  two  state- 
ments may  be  objected  to  on  that  account.  The  an- 
swer to  such  an  objection  is,  that  the  debt  of  the  City 
of  New  York  was  incurred  for  city  and  county  pur- 
poses in  an  improper  manner  and  by  dishonest  officials  ; 
•and  that  the  ten  millions  and  a  half,  which  we  are  compelled 
to  pay  yearly  for  interest  and  for  redemption  of  the  city  debt, 
are  nothing  more  or  less  now  than  a  part  of  the  current 
expenses  of  the  city.  It  is  different,  so  far  as  the  State  debt 
is  concerned,  although  a  large  portion  of  that  debt  was 
created  and  the  sinking  fund  stolen,  by  substantially  t'he 
same  parties  who  were  chiefly  instrumental  in  creating  our 
city  debt.  Still,  it  must  be  admitted,  that  the  city's 
share  of  the  interest  upon  the  State  debt,  and  of  the 
taxes  for  making  good  the  sinking  fund,  cannot  in  any  way 
be  considered  a  portion  of  the  current  expenses  proper 
of  the  city,  although  our  payments  on  account  of  these 
two  items  are  directly  attributable  to  the  two  years  and 
eight  months'  reign  of  the  Tammany  Ring.  Until  the  State 
debt  is  reduced,  and  the  sinking  fund  re-established,  our 
annual  contribution  towards  the  accomplishment  of  these 
ends  may  as  well  be  considered  a  part  of  our  yearly  ex- 
penses. 

From  careful  investigation,  your  Committee  have  reached 
the  conclusion  that,  although  the  extravagance  which  pre- 
vails in  the  various  departments,  has  prevented  any  con- 
siderable decrease  of  indebtedness,  the  debt  of  the  city  has 
not  been  increased  since  1871  from  causes  which  have  arisen 
since  that  period.  The  ascertained  increase  of  $24, 716, 920. 43 
since  the  Ring  was  ousted,  has  been  paid  for  old  dohts  of  the 
Ring,  obligations  which  have  accrued  from  Ring  contracts, 
the  vacating  of  assessments  levied  when  the  Ring  was  in 
power,  and  for  improvements  con(3eived  b}^  tlie  Ring  and 
authorized  by  the  State  Legislature.  The  more  important  • 
facts  concerning  this  increase  are  so  notorious,  and  have 


26 


been  published  so  often,  that  it  has  not  been  deemed  neces- 
sary to  particularize  them  in  this  report. 

The  road  to  retrenchment  and  reform  is  an  open  one,  and 
seemingly  so  straight  that  those  who  are  the  blindest  ought 
to  be  able  to  find  their  way  to  the  end.  The  means  so  to  do 
have  been  considered  and  the  following  recommendations 
suggested  for  the  approval  of  the  club  : 

I.  — Repeal  all  laws  which  authorize  any  new  works  in  the 
City  of  New  York  ;  abolish  the  Department  of  Public 
Works,  and  distribute  the  business  now  centered  in  it 
among  other  departments  ;  make  the  Croton  Water  and 
Streets  separate  departments,  one  under  the  control  of  a 
competent  hydraulic  engineer,  and  the  other  in  charge  of  a 
Superintendent ;  abolish  the  Dock  Commission  and  place 
the  care  of  our  water  front  under  the  charge  of  an  engi- 
neer or  one  Commissioner,  with  limited  powers. 

II.  — Consolidate  the  Street  Cleaning  and  Health  Depart- 
ments into  one,  and  place  the  whole  under  the  control  of  a 
competent  sanitarian,  to  be  assisted  by  a  corps  of  profes- 
sional assistants  and  inspectors. 

III.  — Increase  the  Police  force  to  2,600  effectives,  and  re- 
duce the  pay. 

ly. — Reduce  the  pay  of  the  heads  of  departments  and  of 
the  judges  of  all  the  courts,  and  the  numbers  of  the  various 
commissioners,  including  Police,  Parks,  Docks,  Excise, 
Charities  and  Corrections.  And  the  number  of  employees 
at  least  one-third,  and  the  pay  of  those  who  remain  at 
least  fifteen  per  cent. 

V. — Create  a  Board  of  Inspection,  to  consist  of  three 
members,  who  shall  have  the  power  to  inspect  the  books, 
vouchers  and  workings  of  every  city  department  as  often 
as  they  may  deem  it  necessary,  or  when  ordered  to  do  so 


27 


by  the  Mayor  or  Controller.  This  Board  should  be  clothed 
with  the  necessary  power  to  enable  them  to  look  after  the 
expenditure  of  moneys  paid  by  the  city  to  charitable 
institutions. 

VI. — Separate  power  should  be  given  to  a  newly 
created  authority,  for  the  purpose  of  levying  taxes  and 
making  expenditures  for  public  purposes.  This  should  be 
a  separate  Board,  composed  of  taxpayers  and  voted  for  by 
taxpayers  only."^ 

The  respectable  citizens  of  all  parties  must  come  out 
on  all  questions  bearing  upon  municipal  or  State  govern- 
ment, and  do  their  own  political  work.  They  ought  to 
attend  and  control  the  primary  elections,  and  see  that  proj)- 
er  candidates  are  presented  for  the  people  to  vote  for.  This 
is  the  only  way  to  banish  from  elections  the  influence  of 
ecclesiastics,  the  Irish  groggeryf,  and  the  professional  poli- 
tician. A  good  citizen  should  regard  his  political  rights  in 
the  light  of  a  valuable  trust,  and  he  should  devote  to  it  a 
portion  of  the  same  care  which  he  bestows  upon  his  private 
affairs. 

To  those  who  read  this  report,  the  thought  may  occur  that 
its  animus  is  decidedly  against  a  certain  religious  sect,  and 
our  Irish  citizens,  who  are  mostly  members  of  that  sect.  It 
is  believed  that  fully  three-fifths  of  our  criminal  classes,  and 
about  the  same  proportion  of  our  pauper  population,  are 
Irish,  and  belong  to  this  sect.  The  expense  of  protecting 
society  from  the  attacks  of  these  criminals,  and  providing  for 
these  paupers,  is  very  large.  But  not  content  with  compelling 


*It  has  been  ascertained  that  of  the  129,327  votes  at  the  election  of  1875, 
and  of  the  140,000  upon  the  city  register,  less  than  nineteen  thousand  were 
taxpayers.  It  seems  that  those  who  pay  the  fiddler  have  very  little  to  'say 
about  the  kind  of  music  furnished. 

fOf  the  candidates  for  members  of  the  Assembly  and  for  Aldernifn  presented 
by  our  Tammany  and  anti-Tammany  rulers  for  the  citizens  of  New  York  to 
vote  for  at  the  autumn  election  of  1875,  nineteen  icere  the'keepers  of  groggeries — 
five  of  them  were,  when  nominated,  selling  their  decoctions  without  license. 


28 


the  taxpayiiig  portion  of  our  citizens  to  contribute  nearly 
the  whole  expense  for  these  purposes,  these  very  classes, 
through  corrupt  party  affiliations,  and  the  power  which 
fraudulent  naturalization  has  given  them  in  the  right  to  vote, 
have  imposed  a  rule  upon  the  city  more  despotic,  more  cor- 
rupt than  has  ever  been  felt  by  any  similar  community. 

Without  the  vote  of  these  two  classes,  Tweed  could  never 
have  obtained  power,  or  retained  it  for  any  considerable  length 
of  time.  It  was  at  once  his  source  of  present  strength  and  hope 
for  future  power,  and  it  remained  by  him  until  the  last.  In 
1871,  it  elected  him  Senator  against  a  combined  public  senti- 
ment never  before  aroused,  and  in  1875  it  opened  his  prison 
doors.  So  long  as  this  saleable  vote  exists,  we  may  expect,  in 
the  future,  as  in  the  past,  to  see  it  always  arrayed  upon  the 
side  of  corruption,  and  our  city  will  continue  to  be  governed 
by  those  rascals  of  criminal  antecedents,  who  can  offer 
their  friends  the  largest  opportunities  for  stealing.  Tam- 
many Hall,  at  the  head  of  the  Democratic  party,  with  from 
thirty  to  forty  thousand  Irish  priest-controlled  votes,  upon 
which  it  can  rely,  is  a  power  which  no  prudent  man  in  this 
State  can  afford  to  despise,  and  the  sooner  all  honest  citi- 
zens unite  in  an  earnest  effort  to  overthrow  it,  the  better  it 
will  be  for  the  commonwealth  and  the  whole  nation. 

JN^ew  York,  January  31,  1876. 


♦ 


4 


I 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


